Anterior dental cutting at Laetolil.

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AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 55:223-224 (1981)
Anterior Dental Cutting at Laetolil
MILFORD H. WOLPOFF AND MARY D. RUSSELL
Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
48109
KEY WORDS
CIP, complex, Laetolil
ABSTRACT
No evidence supports the interpretation of malocclusion in the
LH-14 right P,. The pattern of anterior cutting shown in the younger Laetolil
specimens has its analogue in the deciduous dentitions of Pongo.
In a recent paper White (1981) asserts that
the occlusal wear on the right P, of LH-14 is
the result of malocclusion. We find this to be
demonstrably incorrect. Although LH-14 is a
set of isolated teeth (White, 1977; Wolpoff,
1979),there is evidence indicating that nothing
is abnormal about the positioning of this tooth
in the tooth row. The mesial interproximal
facet is in a normal position, its buccal border
is just below the most inferior extension of the
mesial ridge, and the facet extends for about 2
mm lingually. There is a corresponding distal
facet on the lower right canine which matches
the P3 facet when these teeth are in a normal
alveolar position.
There are a number of facets on or adjacent
to the distal surface of the right P3.Of these,
the only one to cover the entire height of the
distal face is a concave facet somewhat
displaced lingually from the center of the
tooth. We believe this is the contact facet for
the P,. I t is relevant that the most lingual
aspect of the distal interproximal facet on the
LH-14 P3is also concave.
Buccal to this LH-14 P, contact facet are
three contiguous, lightly polished facets that
extend across most of the remaining distal P3
face. These facets, convex on the vertical axis,
extend somewhat superiorally onto the occlusal surface, and consequently could not have
been formed by interproximal attrition after
the tooth had erupted.
We believe that the most lingual (concave)
facet represents the mesial buccal contact for a
P, which was rotated clockwise (as seen from
above) out of its normal position. In the absence of the actual LH-14 P, this is impossible
to prove, although there is evidence for
another occlusal anomaly in this dentition.
However, if correct, this rotation would expose
the distal buccal face and edge of the P, to possible occlusal contact with the maxillary teeth,
0002-948318115502-0223$01.00
0 1981 ALAN R. LISS. INC.
thereby accounting for the two lightly polished, convex facets described above. If the P,
were in normal position, the P, would have to
be rotated to account for these facets, but the
mesial contact with the canine argues against
this alternative. The second interpretation is
supported by White (1980), who does not
recognize the implications of the normally
positioned mesial contact facet.
The occlusal condition of the left LH-14 P, is,
as White (1980, 1981) noted, at variance with
the right tooth. The tooth is generally more
worn, a wear plane that is concave on the vertical axis covers most of its distal occlusal face,
and there is an unusual wear facet flattening
the region surrounding the buccal cusp tip
position and extending well onto the buccal
face. The differences in the degree of occlusal
wear and in its pattern lead us to question
whether the left PBshould be attributed to the
same specimen as the other isolated teeth comprising LH-14. Morphological differences between the unworn portions of the left and right
P, crowns include a much more pronounced
bulge just above the cementoenamel junction
on the buccal face on the right tooth, and a
greater height of this bulging region above the
junction. Thus, we believe that the attribution
of these teeth to the same specimen is uncertain.
However, if the association of both P,’s in the
same dentition is accepted, analysis of the
contact between the left canine and the left P,
shows it is the left premolar that has wear
resulting from a malocclusion. The distal
interproximal facet on the left canine is much
like the one on the right, roughly elliptical in
form with the long axis vertical (i.e., parallel
with the long axis of the tooth). However, the
mesial facet on the left P, differs from its right
Received August 1, 1980: accepted December 11. 1980.
224
M.H. WOLPOFF AND M.D. RUSSELL
counterpart. I t is slightly concave and has a
long axis which is 45' clockwise from the
vertical, as seen from the mesial face. The left
canine and P, facets do not match when both
teeth are in normal vertical position relative to
each other. However, they match perfectly if
the vertical axis of the left P, is rotated 45"
clockwise, as seen from the distal surface.
This rotation would bring the flat occlusal
wear facet extending onto the buccal face
(described above) fully to the functional
occlusal plane, thus accounting for its unusual
characteristics.
Such a rotation would also account for an
unusual feature of the partially damaged left
P,. On this tooth, the undamaged lingual
portion of the mesial facet is displaced to the
buccal corner of the mesial face. Alignment of
the adjacent P, in the rotated position
described above would account for an
interproximal contact in this position,
assuming that the P, was in a normal occlusal
relation in the jaw.
Finally, we have found that both Wolpoff
and White were incorrect in their contention
that the pattern of wear on the LH-14 right P,
is unknown for any other primate. Discussion
of whether or not such a pattern characterizes
the younger Australopithecus afarensis
specimens from Hadar must await their
publication. However, an analogue can be
found in the deciduous dentition of Pongo.
Young specimens occlude a vertically short
maxillary canine against a bicuspid dm, with a
transverse ridge connecting the cusps. In
specimens with MI unerupted, there is a distal
wear facet on the maxillary dc at a close to 90 O
angle to the mesial-distal axis of the tooth. Articulation with the mandibles shows that this
facet cannot result from wear across the buccal
dm' face, which in any event is unworn in the
specimens in question. Instead, the angle of
the canine wear plane exactly corresponds to
the wear facet that extends across the mesial
face of the dm,, sharpening the transverse
ridge. A similar facet extends across the distal
dm, crown face, caused by the mesial portion of
the dm' crown. These occlusal facets parallel
those described for the younger Laetolil
specimen, except that in the hominid fossils it
is a permanent upper canine that demonstrates the transverse distal facet, and a P3
that presumably occludes with the distal P,
face. Just as the wear pattern on the PI seems
to change with age at Laetolil, the dm, wear
also becomes different in older Pongo individuals. However, in this case the wear shifts to a
sharpening action of the maxillary dc against
the buccal face of the dm,, analogous to the
adult condition in Pongo.
In sum, a very different, and we believe correct, interpretation of the wear on the LH-14
right P, can be contrasted with that suggested
by White (1981). We believe there is clear
evidence for CIP, cutting in this earliest
hominid taxon. However, since there is only
one tooth involved and because there are positional anomalies on both sides of the LH-14
dentition, the possibility remains that the
right P, wear is also anomalous, corresponding
to (unknown)problems in the maxillary dentition. Only future discoveries can fully resolve
this issue'. We have restricted our discussion
to the known data. Casts of the specimens in
question can be obtained from the National
Museums of Kenya at very small cost, and we
propose that readers interested in continuing
or following up this issue obtain these casts
and observe the relevant features for themselves.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank Dr.M. Leakey, discoverer of the
Laetolil hominids, for permission to publish
observations on the unpublished Laetolil
specimens made by M.H. Wolpoff, and D.C.
Johanson for permission to observe Pongo
specimens at the Cleveland Museum of
Natural History.
This research was supported by NSF grant
BNS 76-82729.
LITERATURE CITED
White, TD (1977) New fossil hominids from Laetolil, Tanzania. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 46~197-230.
White, TD (1980) Additional fossil hominids from Laetoli,
Tanzania: 1976-1979 specimens.Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.
53487-504.
White, TD (1981)On the evidence for "anterior dental cutting" in Laetoli hominids. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol.
54: 107-108.
Wolpoff, MH (1979)Anterior dental cutting in the Laetolil
hominids and the evolution of the bicuspid P,. Am. J.
Phys. Anthropol. 51233-234.
'Publication of the BMNH Laetolil canine (White. 1980) with an obvious honing facet further supports our contention of anterior dental
cutting.